Vast mountain ranges stretched beneath a clear blue sky, where a towering column of blue energy—thick as a person’s outstretched arm—rose straight into the heavens, remaining undiminished for a long time. The elderly herbalist slowly sat up from the ground, gazed at the immense light column, and furrowed his brows slightly. With a gentle gesture, he summoned the energy, and instantly, the column trembled violently. After a brief moment, a strand of blue light drifted down from within the column and hovered gently upon his palm. As the blue glow gradually faded, the inner essence revealed itself—a pill the size of a dragon’s eye, perfectly round, like a still sea surface. Subtle blue patterns etched upon its surface resembled waves rippling across the ocean, exquisitely mysterious. As the strand of blue light detached from the column, the massive beam seemed to lose its energy support, trembling slightly before gradually becoming more ethereal, until it finally vanished entirely. Staring at the colossal beam of light that had completely vanished into the sky, Xiao Yan finally exhaled in relief. With such commotion continuing, the senior elders in the inner courtyard would surely be disturbed. With his purple cloud wings gently vibrating, Xiao Yan slowly descended onto the mountain peak, curiously observing the blue pill floating in Ye Lao's palm. "This is the Earth Spirit Pill, isn't it?" he asked. Ye Lao nodded with a smile, his weathered face subtly revealing a hint of fatigue—clearly, maintaining his soul form to craft a sixth-rank pill still posed a considerable burden for him. Noticing the tiredness in Ye Lao's expression, Xiao Yan softly said, "The pill is now complete. Teacher, why don't you return to your ring and rest?" "Ah," Ye Lao sighed, shaking his head. "Indeed, this soul form is difficult to fully utilize. In the past, crafting a sixth-rank pill didn't take this long. Now, not only does it take much longer, but it also demands tremendous energy." "Don't worry, Master. Once I obtain the Fallen Heart Flame, I'll begin attempting to craft a body capable of housing your soul. When that's accomplished, you'll be able to revive once again." Xiao Yan smiled and offered reassurance. "I'm not in a hurry. I've already waited this long." The Elder of Herbs smiled, though his expression still carried a touch of genuine satisfaction at Xiao Yan's words. Xiao Yan chuckled, then reached out and grasped the Earth Spirit Pill floating in the Elder's palm. Yet as soon as he closed his fingers around it, the pill suddenly burst into a beam of blue light and shot off, spiraling around the Elder like something alive. Staring in astonishment at the pill that had deftly avoided his grasp, Xiao Yan exclaimed, "Is it true that six-rank pills possess such vitality? Do they even know how to dodge?" "Not entirely, actually. Medicines of this rank do indeed possess a certain degree of spirit—though only a rather vague, subtle sense of awareness. Ordinary six-rank medicines typically lack such sensitivity. Nevertheless, the Diling Pill ranks among the top-tier six-rank medicines. Especially after my Bone-Spirit Cold-Fire catalysis, its spirit is notably more vibrant and refined compared to other medicines of the same grade." The elderly pharmacist smiled and explained, then waved his hand, and the Diling Pill floating beside him gently drifted into his palm. He reached for a jade vial, sealed the pill inside, and tossed it toward Xiao Yan. "Hehe, seventh-rank pills indeed have greater vitality; some even fly off on their own right after being brewed, leaving the exhausted alchemists utterly stunned. As for eighth-rank pills, they can even fight humans—do you not find that astonishing?" The elder pharmacist laughed heartily. "Nine-nine is the highest rank, yet above it is not called the Tenth Rank—rather, it is uniquely known as the 'Imperial Rank.' This grade of pill has never been seen since ancient times. I have read some ancient texts, which vaguely suggest that this 'Imperial Rank' pill seems to bear a subtle connection to the 'Battle Emperor' rank—an achievement that exists only in legend." The elderly pharmacist smiled lightly, but the last sentence was spoken so softly that it seemed as though he were afraid someone might hear. Xiao Yan wiped his brow, drenched in sweat—how formidable was this Imperial Rank pill? Did one truly have to rely on such pills to break through to the rank of Battle Emperor? "For a thousand years, no one has been able to craft the Imperial Rank pill. One reason is the lack of a recipe—this kind of recipe is fundamentally different from the ones we use. We cultivate pills from celestial and terrestrial herbs; the Imperial Rank pills, however, are crafted from the very union of heaven and earth, and mountains and seas." The pharmacist's calm voice left Xiao Yan profoundly stunned—could pills truly be forged from the essence of heaven and earth? Isn't that a bit terrifying? "The second point is that no one possesses that kind of strength," the herbalist smiled, adding, "Even if I reach my peak, I still wouldn't be able to match it." Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan nodded silently, utterly amazed by the extraordinary capabilities of the alchemical path—something he hadn't expected at all. "Alright, now that you know all this, it won't do much good. When you eventually reach that level, the knowledge will come naturally," the herbalist said, waving his hand to gather the "Black Demon" cauldron from the ground and place it into his black ring. With a simple flick of the ring, it settled precisely onto Xiao Yan's finger. Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Since the Earth Spirit Pill has been successfully prepared, shall we return to the inner courtyard now?" The herbalist nodded casually, just as he was about to step into the black ring, his expression suddenly shifting—his face pale, he abruptly turned to gaze toward the distant edge of the mountain range. "Master, what's wrong?" The old pharmacist's actions also caused Xiao Yan to feel slightly tense, prompting him to ask urgently. "Stay hidden—someone's coming, and their strength is exceptionally powerful! They must have been drawn here by the commotion when the Spirit Pill began to take shape," the old pharmacist said calmly, pausing briefly before his form transformed into a shimmering aura that enveloped Xiao Yan, his voice whispering softly in his ear, "Stay hidden. With your current strength, you won't escape his search. I can only shield you with my soul energy. Hurry!" Feeling the urgency in the old pharmacist's voice, Xiao Yan sensed the formidable power of the person approaching, now flapping his purple-cloud wings with vigor and scanning the surroundings rapidly. Then, he surged straight toward a towering mountain, vanishing completely into the dense green foliage. As Xiao Yan darted into the lush forest, he hid in a concealed spot, yet his gaze remained fixed through the gaps in the branches, directed toward the distant sky. Not long after Xiao Yan had completely concealed his form, a subtle rustling of wind suddenly broke the stillness. A vague silhouette appeared abruptly in the distance, hovering in midair. At the very moment the figure paused, Xiao Yan clearly sensed a vast, intangible wave of energy spreading outward, eventually enveloping several nearby mountain peaks. This invisible wave functioned much like a radar, continuously scanning back and forth. Fortunately, Xiao Yan was enveloped by the soul essence of Yao Lou, so he remained undetected. After a while, the scanning ceased. The silhouette trembled slightly, then reappeared—now standing firmly atop the small mountain where Yao Lou had once crafted pills. "Such astonishing speed," Xiao Yan thought, slightly awed by the figure's movement. Gently peering through the branches, he observed the visitor, yet could only discern that the person was an elderly man with white hair. "This person must also be from the Inner Court, yet his strength surpasses that of the elders considerably. If my guess isn't far off, he is likely the most respected Senior Elder of the Inner Court." In his mind, Xiao Yan murmured softly, speculating. "I wonder who among our Inner Court members has been refining pills? If possible, could he step forward and make a personal appearance?" As his body settled upon the mountain peak, the elderly man in black robe scanned the surroundings with a gaze that, though seemingly calm and hazy, subtly flickered with lightning-like intensity. The resonant, powerful aura of his voice echoed continuously across the sky, steady and unbroken. Naturally, Xiao Yan could not fulfill the request to appear. His body lay motionless, like a corpse, embedded among the tree foliage, his heartbeat suppressed to a near silence. With the spiritual presence of the elderly herbalist shielding him, he was confident that even if the elder in black robe were exceptionally skilled, he would remain undetected. The sound resonated powerfully through the air, lingering for a long while before finally fading away. Yet around him, the stillness remained unchanged, which caused the elder in black robes to furrow his brows. "Has he truly departed?" he sighed, and then once again launched himself into the sky, vanishing at the horizon with a series of swift movements. Staring at the figure that had clearly walked away yet now mysteriously reappeared, sweat broke out profusely on Xiao Yan's forehead. How cunning this old man truly was! If it weren't for the elder medic's earlier warning, Xiao Yan would have been caught right when the figure appeared—this situation wasn't unfamiliar to him at all. The black-robed elder sighed, gazing around him, only now realizing that the person who had been preparing the pills had indeed moved on. With a slight tremor, he faded once more into the shadows. This time, as the black-robed figure vanished, Xiao Yan finally relaxed his tense nerves completely, slumping heavily against the branch, utterly drained, his clothes soaked through with sweat.